Winnipeg, Manitoba — September 10, 2026 — The Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC) and Film Training Manitoba (FTM) are pleased to announce that acclaimed Canadian cinematographer Mark Irwin CSC ASC will lead the 2026 Manitoba Film Master Series.
Irwin’s training session, Lessons from Behind the Camera, will bring one of Canada’s most accomplished cinematographers to Winnipeg for a unique series of professional development opportunities on October 31 and November 1, 2026. The program is in partnership with the Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC) and will be programmed as a CSC Manitoba Hub session.
The Manitoba Film Master Series is an annual FTM initiative that brings renowned, world-class film professionals to Manitoba to share their expertise through specialized training sessions, lectures, one-on-one mentorships, and interactive industry discussions.
“Mark Irwin is exactly the type of world-class film professional that the Manitoba Film Master Series was created to bring to our province, and we’re honoured that our great national partner, the CSC, and equipment suppliers like FRANK Digital and Cinelease are working with us,” said the Executive Director of Film Training Manitoba Adam Smoluk.
Irwin’s extensive career spans more than four decades and includes some of the most recognizable films in Canadian and international cinema. His feature film credits include David Cronenberg’s The Brood, Scanners, Videodrome, The Dead Zone and The Fly, as well as RoboCop 2, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, Scream, Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary, 10 Things I Hate About You, Old School, The Layover and The Retirement Plan.
Irwin’s breakthrough came in 1978 when he was given the opportunity to work with acclaimed Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg on Fast Company. The collaboration led to five additional Cronenberg films, including Scanners, The Dead Zone and The Fly. Irwin subsequently moved to Los Angeles in 1987, where he continued to work across a diverse range of feature films and television productions with directors, including Wes Craven, Todd Phillips and others.
“This outstanding training opportunity is particularly valuable for Cinematographers and other film workers, providing the chance to engage with Irwin directly, ask questions about his work, and learn from the creative and technical decisions he has made throughout his career,” said the CSC’s Executive Director of Operations Lucy Kayumov.
The upcoming sessions will provide participants with three distinct opportunities to learn directly from Irwin through an in-depth lecture, one-on-one coaching for intermediate and advanced film professionals with a minimum of three years’ experience, and an interactive roundtable session held at FRANK Digital. Through training sessions on October 31 and November 1, Irwin will explore the art and craft of cinematography, drawing on his extensive experience behind the camera. Participants will examine how cinematographers create scale and depth through lighting and how creative and technical decisions work together to shape an image.
The lecture will explore digital cinema cameras, lenses, lighting techniques, and visual storytelling. An open question-and-answer session will conclude the event, allowing participants to engage directly with Irwin about cinematography, the film industry and his career. Participants will also have the opportunity to meet individually with Irwin for a 25-minute interactive coaching session. Discussions may include career advancement, working relationships, professional development, and current trends within the film industry. The weekend will conclude with a roundtable session focused on Irwin’s approach to cinematography and visual storytelling.
Selected Films Shot by Mark Irwin CSC ASC
Using selected scenes and clips from his extensive body of work, Irwin will discuss the creative and technical decisions behind the images, including lighting, camera placement, lenses, composition, and visual storytelling. Participants will be encouraged to research Irwin’s body of work and come prepared with questions. The open and supportive discussion will provide an opportunity to explore the challenges, choices and techniques involved in bringing a scene to life, and to gain an inside perspective on the working process of an accomplished cinematographer. These limited sessions will give emerging and established film professionals an opportunity to receive direct insight from a cinematographer whose career includes more than 40 years of feature film and television experience.
The Manitoba Film Master Series has previously featured an impressive roster of film veterans. In June 2025, cinematographer Luc Montpellier CSC ASC led a cinematography masterclass examining the pre-production and production process behind Women Talking, presented in partnership with FRANK Digital. In March 2025, producer and screenwriter Mark Bailey presented a Documentary Essentials Masterclass. In February 2024, two-time Academy Award nominee and Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker Rory Kennedy held a documentary masterclass. Other instructors include: cinematographer Steve Yedlin, Star Wars: The Last Jedi; screenwriter Carl Gottlieb, JAWS; and Oscar Award-winning makeup artist Jordan Samuel, Frankenstein.
“FTM’s goal is to give Manitoba’s film community access to the knowledge, experience and training from film professionals who have worked at the highest levels of our industry,” said FTM’s Chairperson Ellen Rutter. “Mark Irwin’s training sessions will be another opportunity for Manitoba film workers to learn directly from someone who has helped shape the look and feel of some truly iconic films.”
Registration information for the 2026 Manitoba Film Master Series is available through Film Training Manitoba’s website: https://filmtraining.mb.ca/
About the Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC)
The Canadian Society of Cinematographers is a national, not-for-profit organization founded in 1957 to foster the art and craft of cinematography and imaging professionals at all levels. CSC members work across feature films, documentaries, television series, specials, and commercials. Canadian directors of photography—who form the core of the Society’s membership—are recognized internationally among the best in the world. The CSC is largely volunteer-run and is committed to reflecting the diversity of its membership, with a mandate that emphasizes training, education, mentorship, and the dissemination of emerging technical and product knowledge.
About Film Training Manitoba (FTM)
Film Training Manitoba is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to supporting skills development, mentorship, and professional training for Manitoba’s film and television industry. Through workshops, masterclasses, and strategic industry partnerships, FTM helps build a skilled, adaptable, and inclusive screen-based workforce. FTM is a member of the Province of Manitoba’s Sector Council Program, funded through Manitoba Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation. The organization collaborates closely with industry stakeholders to identify training needs and deliver workforce development initiatives that support Manitoba-based production companies and the broader screen sector.
Media Contact:
Jenna Paterson-Coutts
Communications Coordinator
Film Training Manitoba
P: 204. 989-9669 Ext. 1
jenna@filmtraining.mb.ca
FTM is a non-for-profit charity and member of the Province of Manitoba’s Sector Council program funded through the Department of Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation. FTM builds a highly skilled and adaptable film industry workforce to support the activities of Manitoba production companies. FTM collaborates and partners with members of the film industry to identify training needs to support workforce development.